St. Paul City Council approves playground, sculpture park project around Allianz Field
A development project in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood has taken another step forward.
During a Wednesday afternoon meeting, City Council members approved a resolution allowing the city to enter a privately owned public space parkland agreement with Snelling-Midway Redevelopment, LLC. CLICK HERE to read the text of the entire resolution.
As reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS earlier this year, the Metropolitan Council approved a $652,000 grant to fund an environmental cleanup for an area surrounding Allianz Field.
The agreement calls for the construction of a sculpture park, as well as a playground. According to the agreements, project construction must begin by May 1, 2024, and be done by Dec. 31, 2024, barring any kind of delays caused by weather, vendors and work stoppages. CLICK HERE for a draft agreement for the playground and HERE for the sculpture garden.
Chad Kulas, the executive director for the Midway Chamber of Commerce, wrote in support of the preliminary plan outlined for the Council, emphasizing that two elements of the United Village Development will be available to the public. In addition, Kulas wrote “the party responsible for maintaining this space already has a good record of maintaining other public space”, citing Gold Medal Park’s cleanliness. Kulas’ full letter can be found at the bottom of this article.
Meanwhile, Joe Hughes – a board member on the Committee for Land Use and Economic Development and a landlord in Union Park and the Hamline Midway area – says while there’s excitement for the development, there is also concerns about the quality and safety for those who would use Metro Transit’s Light Rail to get to and from the area, adding that “the quality of ridership on light rail will undoubtedly be a critical element to the success, attendance, and economic growth of the superblock area.” Hughes’ letter can also be found at the bottom of this article.
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